COMMUNITY DEFENDERS
The Pesticide-Free Zone Advocate: Ginger Souders-Mason
Ginger Souders-Mason then on the board of Marin Breast Cancer Watch and the Health Council of Marin, advisors to the Marin County Board of Supervisors. A retired medical technologist and mother of two, Ginger was chosen to head a group working to find out why Marin women were suffering form the disease at elevated rates. Two years later, Ginger founded Marin Beyond Pesticides Coalition.
The group immediately sought out support of Greg Small, then director of Pesticide Watch, who helped the group interpret pesticide use report forms and create a campaign to educate Marin residents and elected officials on how to phase out the use of these products.
Under Ginger’s leadership, the group first set out to encourage cities and towns in the country to enact Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a least-toxic pesticide use ordinances. With the support of 45 various community, civic and environmental groups pushing for passage, the coalition passed the first ordinance in 1998. Since that time, nearly every city in Marin has enacted a similar ordinance.
More recently, Ginger and the coalition created the “Pesticide Free Zone” campaign. The campaign’s signature lady bug garden signs are now found across the country and are available through garden catalogues, nurseries, organic lawn care companies, environmental groups and local governments to help curb the private use and build awareness.
Ginger continues with the same energy and passion 12 years after she started working on pesticide issues. “Every time I see our ladybug signs I smile,” she said. “My goal is to make